Author: Beth Morrison

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 16:1-17:20, Luke 9:7-27, Psalm 72:1-20, Proverbs 12:8-9

Daily Verse: “Better to be lowly and have a servant than to play the great man and lack bread.” Prov. 12:9

Pretense deceives.

Many people spend their time putting on a vain show to impress others. Living beyond your means impacts lifestyle. Stress and anxiety accompany pretense; trying to make people think of you in a certain way doesn’t hurt anyone but you.

“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Gal. 1:10

Living for Christ means caring about what God thinks more than man. Freedom comes when we live for Jesus. God doesn’t look at material possessions; He examines our hearts. Walking in tune with Jesus means others will benefit from our actions.

When loving God and others well become our mission, possessions have no hold on us. Competing with the Joneses means nothing, but caring for others does.

Strive to love others well; nothing matters more than sharing Christ with those God places in our life.

Lord, forgive us for getting caught up in the material possessions of this world.  As we move through our day, help us keep Christ at the center of our thoughts and actions.  Let us become better lovers of people as we practice Jesus’ teachings. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 13:1-15:23, Luke 8:40-9:6, Psalm 71:1-24, Proverbs 12:5-7

Daily Verse: “The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.” Prov. 12:5

Thoughts need controlling.

“I’ll think about it tomorrow,” Scarlett O’Hara says at the end of “Gone with the Wind,” the 1939 movie considered the most successful film ever according to Guinness World Records. Rhett Butler, the love of her life, left her destitute with her thoughts, and Scarlett decides not to focus on the bleakness of the situation.

We have the same opportunity as Scarlett. As Christ-followers, we choose where we center our minds. Memorizing scripture helps us control our thoughts and stay focused on God.

Instead of ruminating and repeatedly thinking about a situation out of our control, we can meditate on God’s promises.

“You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus.” Phil. 4:19 MSG

Paul’s words to the Philippians have helped me often control my thoughts and apply to a myriad of situations. Find scripture to meditate on when dealing with life’s issues. Control your thoughts with the help of God’s word.

Lord, forgive us when we let our thoughts get out of control.  Please help us stay focused on You.  Bring scripture to mind that applies to our lives and allows us to control what we think.  Let us become more like Christ as we take our thoughts captive and focus on You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 11:1-12:32, Luke 8:22-39, Psalm 70:1-5, Proverbs 12:4

Daily Verse: “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” Prov. 12:4

Partnerships bring life.

God designed marriage; scripture gives us guidelines for a healthy and fulfilling partnership with our mate. Living together harmoniously takes work and intention, but the rewards far outweigh the effort.

Since I spent most of my life single, applying Biblical principles to all my relationships helped prepare me for marriage. Having and maintaining healthy relationships matured me. But I learned quickly marriage relationships differ from any other.

“If I do everything you want, this becomes the Beth show. That show ended; it’s now the Ron and Beth show.”  Ron’s words changed me. Journaling in bed, I complained when Ron “jostled” the bed while climbing into sleep. Year one of marriage teaches a lot of lessons.

Becoming a wife who helps her husband excel continues to grow and mature me. Centering our lives around Jesus, becoming active members in our church, building a network of believers who support us, and studying and applying Biblical principles to our lives, help our marriage thrive.

Become an excellent crown to your spouse by following Jesus; nothing will make you a better partner to the one you love.

Lord, forgive us for putting our needs before our spouses.  Please help us become partners who give life to our mates.  Grow and mature us through marriage to become more like Jesus.  Let the ones who know us best respect us most.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22, Luke 8:4-21, Psalm 69:19-36, Proverbs 12:2-3

Daily Verse: “A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of evil devices he condemns.” Prov. 12:2

Virtue obtains favor.

God looks favorably upon virtuous acts. Knowing our hearts, the Lord understands the motives for our actions. Intent matters more than results.

“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

Allowing God to cleanse our hearts helps us have pure motives. A friend published his latest book, hitting number one on Amazon for pre-order in his category.   Immediately I felt jealous of his success. 

But then, a nudge from the Holy Spirit helped me identify the negative emotion. As an author, I know the work involved with completing a project. Instead of envy, I rejoiced because God blessed my friend’s efforts, supporting him and his work.

God favors the virtuous heart; He knows our intent. Evil intentions receive the Lord’s condemnation. But pure hearts enjoy God’s blessings.

Lord, forgive us for evil intentions. Please cleanse our hearts and make them pure. Let everything we do honor and glorify You as we strive for virtue. Please help us do better today than yesterday. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 7:1-8:20, Luke 7:36-8:3, Psalm 69:1-18, Proverbs 12:1

Daily Verse: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.” Prov. 12:1

Accept correction.

“Who in your life calls out blind spots?” My small group leader asked as we studied Exodus 18 and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law.  Within the 27 verses of the chapter, Jethro calls out Moses’ blind spot and his need for help.

“Ron,” came my quick reply.  Nothing like marriage to help you see the blind spots in your life.  The most life-changing thing happened when Ron helped me see the bitter root I carried with me for decades because of my father’s death.  Feeling sorry for myself, I carried the pain like a badge of honor, using it to justify unkind actions.

Accepting feedback about our lives helps us grow and become more mature.  Becoming Christlike requires correction as we identify our imperfections, submitting them to Jesus and allowing His Spirit to change us.

Become comfortable accepting feedback from those who love and want the best for you.  Understand that we all have blind spots we can’t see.  But with soft hearts and a willingness to learn, we can identify and work to overcome them.

Lord, forgive us for not accepting correction.  Please help us seek and accept feedback to help us grow and become more like Christ.  Soften our hearts, help us remain teachable, and let us become fully devoted followers of Jesus.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 5:1-6:25, Luke 7:11-35, Psalm 68:19-35, Proverbs 11:29-31

Daily Verse: “Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.” Prov. 11:29

Actions matter.

Mismanaging our time and energy impacts not only our lives but also our families. Whatever trouble we bring ourselves also affects those who love us. Eventually, we will become servants to those wise of heart if we don’t mature and grow.

“I’m only hurting myself,” justified my poor decisions in college. Until I realized the trouble my actions brought not only caused me pain but my mother as well. By God’s grace and her prayers, I saw the truth and began to change my ways.

What we do does affect other people. Whether we overindulge in drink, allow laziness to keep us from contributing to society, or let our selfish desires rule our actions, what we do impacts those we love.

Living a Christ-centered life puts our desires on the back burner as we put God and others before ourselves. We will become wise of heart when we stop believing our actions don’t matter. 

Don’t believe the lies; what you do matters to God and those who love you.

Lord, forgive us for thinking our actions don’t matter. Please help us make better decisions for ourselves and our loved ones today. Give us wisdom and discernment as we face life’s challenges, knowing all things work for the good of those who trust and believe in You. IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-49, Luke 6:39-7:10, Psalm 68:1-18, Proverbs 11:28

Daily Verse: “Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.” Prov. 11:28

Faith determines security.

“Green leaf” signifies prosperity and fertility. Placing trust in Jesus causes people to flourish because their faith lies in things eternal, not in things of this world.

“Our financial advisor saw something was wrong and moved us out of Enron.”  Uncle Earl told us they almost lost their savings because of the Enron scandal. Investors lost $74 billion because leadership fooled regulators with fake holdings and off-the-books accounting, life savings disappeared overnight, leaving people destitute.

Security doesn’t come in material things. Money can disappear in a heartbeat. Understanding God provides for our needs, not Wall Street, helps us live life to the fullest.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” James 1:17

Stock markets fluctuate, but God doesn’t. In an ever-changing world, we can depend on the Creator, who remains the same. Faith reminds us provision comes from the Lord.

Lord, forgive us for depending on things of this world. Help us today; remember Your provision. Grow our faith as we trust You to provide for all our needs. Let us experience life to the fullest as we trust entirely in You.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 2:1-3:29, Luke 6:12-38, Psalm 67:1-7, Proverbs 11:27

Daily Verse: “Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” Prov. 11:27

Seek divine favor.

Pursuing a life with Christ means seeking divine favor daily.  Who doesn’t want God’s blessing in their lives?  People who choose to follow the world.

Obedience brings blessings.  God honors our efforts to follow Him, but we won’t receive the reward if we don’t try.  

When facing the unknown, trying to obey what scripture says, despite the opposite of what my flesh wants to do, leads me to an often-uttered prayer, “Bless my efforts, Lord.”

Trusting God will notice and bless my actions helps spur me on to obedience.  Reminding myself of the prophet Isaiah’s words, “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6), helps keep me humble and reminds me that I can do nothing without Christ.

If we seek trouble, we will find it.  But if we pursue righteousness through Jesus, relying on God for help, we will find His favor.  Ask God for His blessing, do your best to honor Him, and expect the Lord to answer with His goodness.

Lord, forgive us for following the ways of the world.  Help us tune in to Your desires for our life.  Bless our efforts as we try to follow You to the best of our ability.  In all things, let You receive the glory and honor.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 36:1-

Deuteronomy 1:46, Luke 5:29-6:11, Psalm 66:1-20, Proverbs 11:24-26

Daily Verse: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.” Prov. 11:24

Become generous.

“Hold it all loosely,” Ron often says.  Clinging to the things of this world, the temporary material items that will perish does no good.  But if we learn to hold them loosely, becoming generous with our possessions, we’ll find abundance.

“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Cor. 9:7

God doesn’t bless us so we can hoard possessions but that we can share them generously with others.  Not only should we practice generosity, but our heart posture also matters.  Giving cheerfully pleases God and opens the door for Him to pour more blessings into our lives.

“You can’t outgive God,” I say often.  Try outdoing the Lord in generosity; without a doubt, you will fail.  But the blessings you receive will make you want to give more.

Become generous with God’s blessings; undoubtedly, you become richer in ways you can’t imagine.

Lord, forgive us for clinging to material things.  Give us a generous and cheerful heart, sharing our blessings with others.  Help us hold the things of this world loosely as we pursue You, allowing Your goodness to flow through us to others.  IJNIP. Amen

One minute read.

Daily Reading: Numbers 33:40-35:34, Luke 5:12-28, Psalm 65:1-13, Proverbs 11:23

Daily Verse: “The desire of the righteous ends only in good, the expectation of the wicked in wrath.” Prov. 11:23

Righteous hope.

Doing the right thing repeatedly develops strong character and exemplifies hope.  Eventually, wrong actions receive just rewards.  But taking steps of faith means having hope for the results of our efforts.

Obedience to God demands that we put our desires aside and do what the Lord wants.  Forgiving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, telling the truth, guarding our hearts, and capturing wayward thoughts all lead to righteous living and require intention.

Believing in Jesus begins the journey to righteous living.  We must put Christ first in our thoughts and actions to live for Him each day.  Our hope comes from trusting that God will bless our efforts, even when we fail.

Good comes to those who pursue Christ, our best days ahead of us.  But the wicked will experience God’s wrath because of their choices. 

With Christ, hope exists.  Without Him, it doesn’t.

Lord, forgive our poor choices.  Please help us become more like Christ as we strive to obey His commands.  Search our hearts and reveal areas we need to give to You.  Let us represent You well today. IJNIP. Amen